While two Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) tankers have safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz this morning, the situation in the Persian Gulf-Gulf of Hormuz-Gulf of Oman shipping lanes is uncertain as Iran still does not allow oil tankers to be escorted by warships.
Although the SCI tankers – Pushpak and Piramal – managed to cross the Strait of Hormuz unescorted between last night and this morning, three other tankers were attacked by Iranian missiles and sustained damage.
“There is total confusion in the Persian Gulf because the Iranians speak in several voices. Escorts are not allowed and tankers are taking risks,” said a shipping expert.
The Thai vessel Mayuree Naree bound for Kandla was hit in the hull even though the ship was passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The flyby of two Indian ships and the targeting of others clearly shows that Iran’s chain of command is working with Tehran to use Hormuz as a choke point to trigger a global energy crisis and use it as leverage for the US-Israel to withdraw from the war. In addition, Iran is also targeting the Sunni Gulf countries to expand the theater of war and punish them for allowing the US to establish bases on their territory. Iran’s targeting of the Strait of Hormuz is a violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Articles 37-45, and is against the freedom of navigation as stated in the convention.
The UN Security Council on Wednesday evening adopted a resolution invoking Article 51 of the UN Charter – the collective or individual right of member states to self-defence – against Iran’s retaliatory attacks in the Persian Gulf region. The resolution was supported by 134 countries, with 13 votes in favor and two abstentions – China and Russia.
The fact is that Iran is deliberately targeting shipping in the Persian Gulf to create a global oil crisis and a food crisis in the Middle East. The fact that the Sunni Gulf countries are only defending against the Iranian missile onslaught and not retaliating against Tehran shows that the Gulf countries clearly do not want to be seen on the side of the US and more specifically Israel. Another thing is that the rulers of the Persian Gulf are angry with Iran for causing them collateral damage, and when the time comes, they will take covert revenge.
Although Iran uses kamikaze drones to target maritime traffic in the Persian Gulf, there are indications that the IRGC may attack tankers with underwater drones or missiles, although there is no evidence that the Islamist regime is using any mines. The fact that a Thai-flagged tanker was hit in the hull raises suspicions that Iran may be attacking these tankers with underwater missiles.
To date, up to 19 ships have been hit by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and around seven people have been killed in the attack. Since Iran has decided to use the Strait of Hormuz as military leverage, the global energy crisis will continue until either the Iranian regime collapses or comes to the table to negotiate with the US.
This story was originally published in Hindustan Times
